Arsenal face Atletico Madrid in Spain on Wednesday night in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final following their nervy 1-0 win over Newcastle in the Premier League
19:12, 28 Apr 2026Updated 19:36, 28 Apr 2026
Mikel Arteta has given the latest on Arsenal’s injuries(Image: Ryan Pierse/UEFA via Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Arsenal will be without Kai Havertz for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night. Havertz went off injured in the win over Newcastle on Saturday and won’t feature in the Spanish capital.
The Gunners suffered a double injury blow in the 1-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday, with both Havertz and goalscorer Eberechi Eze going off. Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta explained the latest team news.
“Kai is out but Ebs is ready to go,” Arteta said. Asked about Riccardo Calafiori and Bukayo Saka, Arteta said: “Those two are available for tomorrow.”
But Arteta admitted he does not know when Timber will be ready to return after a groin injury – despite playing strange mind games over the defender’s fitness.
Timber was taken off off in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton on March 14 and has missed the last eight games in all competitions with a groin injury and is still undergoing rehabilitation.
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Arteta then said that Timber was back for a return to action along with Calafiori but quickly did a back track when asked about it – and could not give a date for his return.
He added: “We don’t know yet. He is doing some stuff on the pitch at the moment. He needs to do some more things before he can compete with us.”
Arteta had described the injuries to Havertz and Eze as “small niggles” on Saturday, but the German’s problem is clearly more significant. Havertz will be a miss for the Gunners, although it opens the door for Viktor Gyokeres to step into the starting line-up.
Arsenal finished top of the Champions League table before getting past Bayer Leverkusen and Sporting Lisbon in the knockout stages. They remain unbeaten in the competition this season and Diego Simeone knows how tough the task will be for the home side.
“We are going to face a tough game with a very good opponent and with a set-piece strategy as you well said at the beginning that is very well worked and well, here we go with all the excitement,” the Atletico Madrid boss said.
Kai Havertz went off injured against Newcastle(Image: Izzy Poles/AMA)
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“I always say that dreaming is good but reality is what happens on earth. And what happens on earth is what we do and what God wants. So that’s how we behave.
“Honestly pressure no, there’s no pressure. There’s responsibility. There is the excitement of being close to a huge goal that the club has never achieved. And of course there is a special excitement.
“And we have to prepare well, we’re going to play the game we want to play, the game we imagine and as I always say, take the game where we want so we can hurt them.”
Arsenal predicted XI vs Atletico Madrid: Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Gyokeres
Atletico XI: Oblak; Molina, Le Normand, Lenglet, Ruggeri; Simeone, Koke, Cardoso, Gonzalez; Griezmann, Alvarez
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